Government prepares as shutdown looms

Monday, September 30, 2013 2:58 PM

As a potential government shutdown looms, President Barack Obama called on House Republicans to "set aside the short-term politics" by passing a Senate bill to temporarily extend funding, The Wall Street Journal reported.

His remarks came after both Republicans and Democrats dug in for a last-ditch battle. Members of both parties said they wanted to avoid the first federal shutdown since 1996, but both seem to be expecting to blame the other side if the shutdown happens.

If a government shutdown actually happens, this CNNMoney article lays out how the government will shut down. By many estimates, the entire process would only take about four hours to complete.

Or, see another CNNMoney article on eight things you need to know about the potential shutdown, but wish you didn't. Fun fact: Congress has raised the debt ceiling 79 times since 1940.

Meanwhile, the issue has highlighted a growing conflict within the Republican party, Bloomberg reports, as Republicans are arguing with each other as the shutdown looms, creating what one Republican U.S. representative calls a "circus."